And We're Off!

So tomorrow is the big day! It's the beginning of our 22 hour journey to Texas. I'm so grateful that we were able to figure out a way for Clark to come with me. I don't think I posted about it, but for a while there was some doubt that he would be able to help me drive down. The ship's schedule is crazy! I don't know how people handle Navy life year after year.

Clark has to go into work for a while tomorrow, and then once he gets home we we'll strike out. Just him, me, the van, the kids, the dog, a little u-haul trailer, and miles and miles of road. As I'm sure you all know there are a few things that can ruin a good road trip. A few are:

• children under five
• car sick dogs, children, or adults (or anything else that causes similar symptoms--I'm thinking the flu or that burger from the last pit stop)
  
• car trouble
• rain, sleet, or snow
• a broken cd player or radio

I'm sure there are more and feel free to add to the list. Personally, I love road trips. There's something about setting out on a long journey, the car packed with snacks, and your favorite tunes all lined up and ready to go that makes me feel happy and free. I remember my very first road trip on my own. I was barely seventeen and my parents let me drive from Houston to Hattiesburg, Mississippi (about 9 hours) all by myself. I was so excited! I filled up my brown station wagon with gas and bought some trail mix and was on my way. I ended up eating that whole bag of trail mix (filled with dried fruit, mind you) within the first couple hours and had to make pit stops nearly every hour the rest of the way. Maybe that was too much information, but it sure makes me laugh when I think about it now.

Another favorite road trip of mine was when Clark and I were visiting his parents near Las Vegas and we decided to take a little road trip to the town where he grew up (Fallon, NV.) I think it was about six hours, so not long as road trips go. Clark's parents let us borrow their nice car and once we were on our way we proceeded to play with all the bells and whistles. Despite the chill we decided to open the sun roof, but once we got it all the way open it wouldn't shut. We stopped and called his parents (we didn't have cells back then) and when we told them we had opened the sun roof they just said, "uh, oh." To abbreviate, we couldn't get it shut and had to drive almost the entire six hours with the wind blowing so loudly that we could neither listen to the radio or carry on a conversation (unless we were shouting.) Not to mention it was cold!

I hope you don't mind me reminiscing! I guess the point of all this is to ask you to say a little prayer for us that all the kids will stay healthy, the van will stay in one piece, and we will make it to the Lone Star State safely sometime Tuesday night.

I'll be emailing out our new address at my folks' place soon. Thanks to all our Virginia friends who have made our time here so wonderful. I will miss you so much. Keep in touch! Blogs are great for this! If you don't have one, get one!!